The invention relates to a bicycle pedal with a releasable binding which makes it possible to connect a shoe fitted to this binding, or a connecting part or the like disposed on the shoe to this pedal, and when the shoe is rotated around an axis which is approximately vertical (perpendicular) with respect to the tread area of the pedal, to release this shoe or connecting part or the like disposed on the shoe against a releasing force or a spring arrangement.
Racing cyclists require a firm holding system for the shoes at the bicycle pedals. It is therefore customary to fix the shoes to the pedals. However, this results in a high risk of injury if, during a sudden stop or fall, the cyclist cannot remove his feet from the pedals fast enough.
For this reason, bicycle pedals have been developed with releasable bindings of the initially mentioned type. In this case, locking catches, which are arranged on the pedal and are acted upon by a spring, as a rule, interact with counterlocking parts arranged at the sole of the shoe in such a manner that the shoe and the pedal are locked together with one another when the shoe is placed on the tread surface of the pedal with sufficient force. By means of a rotating movement of the shoe relative to an axis which is vertical with respect to the tread surface, the locking catches can then be deflected until they reach a release position.
In these known constructions, it is a basic disadvantage, however, that the strength of the releasing resistance or of the releasing spring arrangement also increases the force which is required to press the shoe down on the tread surface of the pedal for a locking with the pedal or which is required for engaging the shoe with the locking catches.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a bicycle pedal with a releasable binding in which the step-in resistance is largely independent of the respective releasing force.
In the case of a bicycle pedal of the initially mentioned type, this object is achieved according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention in that a shoeholder, which formfittingly receives the connecting part or a shoe part or sole part, which, at the pedal, can be deflected around an axis which is approximately vertical with respect to the tread surface, against a releasing force or releasing spring arrangement, and relative to the tread surface, is vertically movable or can be swivelled around an axis, which is approximately in parallel to the tread surface, from a step-in position which is lifted with respect to the tread surface and in which the connecting part or the shoe part or sole part, in a direction which is approximately parallel to the sole, particularly in longitudinal direction of the shoe, can be pushed into the shoeholder or pulled out of it, when the connecting part or the shoe part or sole part is pushed in, can be stepped down against the tread surface into a locked position, in which a locking part on the pedal engages in a counterlocking part at the connecting part or shoe part or sole part, and in that a locking element securing the locked position of the shoeholder releases the shoeholder and/or the locking part emerges from the counterlocking part when the shoeholder is deflected from its locked position against the releasing force or releasing spring arrangement while swivelling around an axis which is approximately vertical with respect to the tread surface.
Therefore, according to the invention, the elements for locking the shoe and the pedal together with one another are arranged or constructed separately from those elements which permit a release of the connection between the shoe and the pedal.
By means of the arrangement of the shoeholder which is vertically movable or upward-foldable relative to the tread surface, it can be ensured in the step-in position of the shoeholder that the connecting part or the shoe part or sole part can be pushed into the shoeholder without any interference caused by the locking part on the pedal. During the subsequent pressing-down of the shoeholder, the locking part on the pedal as well as the counterlocking part on the shoe can engage in one another without any resistance, so that the shoe is held fixed at the shoeholder.
The separation of the shoe and the pedal takes place in that the shoe, for example, during a fall or intentionally is deflected by means of external forces with respect to the axis which is approximately vertical to the tread surface, with the result that the shoeholder now, because the locking element becomes ineffective as a result of the deflection, can be lifted or folded up relative to the tread surface, whereby the engagement of the locking part and the counterlocking part is discontinued, and/or that the locking part and the counterlocking part are already separated from one another as a result of the deflection of the shoeholder around the axis which is approximately vertical with respect to the tread surface.
Basically, the locking part or the locking parts may therefore be arranged stationarily at the pedal, if the engagement between the pedal and the assigned counterlocking part or counterlocking parts can be discontinued by means of the release swivel of the shoe or the shoeholder and/or by means of the lifting movement of the shoeholder which is possible when the release swivel is sufficient.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it may, however, be provided that the locking part or the locking parts, during the deflecting movement of the shoeholder resulting in a release, carry out an unlocking lift relative to the pedal and correspondingly, by means of their own movement, emerge from the respectively assigned counterlocking part or counterlocking parts.
For example, the locking part, together with the shoeholder, may be deflectable around an axis which is vertical to the tread surface, and, by means of a spring, may be tensioned against a guide surface or guide path which is followed by an indentation or recess, into which the locking part sinks when the shoeholder is deflected against the release force or the release spring arrangement.
This arrangement is particularly advantageous when the shoeholder is arranged so that it can be folded upward around the axis which is approximately in parallel to the tread surface. In this case, the spring, which seeks to force the locking part against the guide surface or guide path, may simultaneously be used for acting upon the shoeholder in the direction of its folded-up position.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.